The lock incorporates an external wheel delicately engraved with simple flower ornament. An extension of the pan serves as a retaining-plate and is engraved and pierced with a mask and flowers. Faint traces of gilding remain. Similar floral ornament on the back of the arm of the cock. The edges of the lock-plate are bevelled, the upper edge engraved with the name and address of the maker:

A Figaec P. Cisteron

The lock is of French type, having the mainspring secured inside the stock and the end of the wheel spindle protruding through the screw-plate on the left side.

Walnut stock of French form, the butt carved as a dog's head with a silver collar around the neck ornamented in relief with birds and foliage. The relief decoration on the silver dog's collar is produced by means of a stamp. The dog's eyes are of coloured glass. At the ramrod socket is carved a trophy of armour and weapons. Steel trigger-guard with faint traces of engraved ornament. Wooden ramrod with steel tip. Ramrod pipe formed of a single narrow steel ring. The steel fore-end cap is attached by a screw to the barrel and is entirely separate from the stock.

French, about 1640.

A fine wheel-lock sporting gun (Mazzini, 1982, p. 96, pls. 8-12 and cat. no. 293) by the same maker, P. Cisteron, is in the Armeria Reale at Turin (no. M 38), and a pair by him were at one time in the Ressman Collection. Figeac is a town in the Auvergne.

The first two letters of the inscription are combined. The end of the main-spring is not visible through an aperture under the stock in the usual manner of French firearms. A small stud on the end of the main-spring projects through the trigger-guard to indicate that the lock is spanned.

Hoff, Feuerwaffen, I, 1969, fig. 88.

Pierre Cisteron is listed in N. Støckel, I, p. 218, and dated about 1640-60.A comparable pistol was reported in 1974 to be in the collection of C. Bedford. Its mainspring apparently bears a mark including the initials AG (N. Støckel, I, p. 475, no. 7631).